Telegram-herald., 1887-09-06
ONE HUNDRED KILLED
A TERRIBLE PANIC IN A THEATRE.
Heart Rsndins Scenes ,n Conseq eence of =
Fire Daring = Performances at Exc
ter, EngIand-seoros of People
Irodden to Death.

LONDON, Sept. 5.-During the perform
ance of The Romsay Rve' in theatre at
Exeter this evening the building was dis
covered TO be on fire. The audience be-
came panics stricken aud made frantic
rush for the exits In spite Of heroic efforts
of attaches to reassnre them and induce
them to 30 oat quietly. The occu-
pants Of the .t,,,ls p,' y. e1Gassd .v-aa, in
in the NARROW aisles. Men aud women
were deliberately knocked down and
trainpled upp by those behind them and
hundreds OF persons were almost entirely
denudel In the terrible tight for life. The
pit was finally cleared but large number
OF the occupants of that portion of the
house were seriously injured and presented
horrible spectacle IS they reached the
streets. The occu pants of the gallery did
not fare 30 well. There was only
one very narrow exit from the upper tier
involving the descent OF rather long flight
of stairs, and here an almost indescribable
scene of terrbr and slaughter ensued. A
rush for thb stairs was terrific and in a
moment the entire passage way Was blocked,
those persons who kept their feet being sup
ported by solid mass of PROSTATE hu-
manity. Shrieks, groans and curses of the
imprisoned and tfanpied, wounded
and dying were perfectly beartrend-
ing, but there was no relief
and in moment scores OF
men and women were either suffocated to
death OF killed by being trodden upon.
fire escape was at last Brought to one of the
gallery windows ard through this medium
the pressure was : relieved andi a
great many persons were low
cred to the street AS soon as the
house had been cleared of the
living the work of removing the dead was
begun and sixty bodies were taken out by
means of the fire escape. The wounded
survivors were conveyed to hospital and
definitely ascertansd. but il is very large.
The total number of lives lost is estimated
at one hundred but may exceed that figure.
The fire started in the flies during the
fourth act of the play. When the flames
were discovered the drop scene was low
cred 70 prevent a current OF air from in
cressing he blaze. After this was done
the actors and stage hands threw open
door to make their escape. when the dtnit
caused the flames to burst through
to the drop scene and ignite the
wood work of the gallery. The
flames overlook the hindmost of the un-
fortunate people who were wedged in the
corridor and stairway and literally roasted
them alive. There was no escape for them,
the fire being at their backs, and compact
immovable mass of human beings in front.
Firemen reached the upper windows and
took out all of the people they could find
but most OF them were dead and many
others died soon after they were
taken out. Surgeons in the hospital re-
vived a few persons who were thought 10
be dead from suffocation, but at O'Clock
in the morning nearly one hundred corpses
Law In rows on the floor and these did not
comprise the total number of the dead,
as a great number of bodies were burned TO
ashes in the theatre. Some Of the dead
were simply saffocated and not at all
mutilatsd or burned. The occupants of
the dress circle escaped without injury,
the disfgured and dead being cor ined TO
the pit and upper circle. The building was
destroyed. One hundred and thirty bodies
have been taken out Of the theatre thus far.
or these 100 were men and boys and thirty
women.